Veterinary visits are incredibly important in protecting the health of your pet. However, veterinary visits can be stressful for your pet, which can cause them to act out. It can be particularly beneficial to ensure that you take the steps to prepare them for the veterinary visit to provide the most positive veterinary experience possible. Here are a few of the best tips regarding preparing your pet for a veterinary visit.
Make a List of Questions
It can be extremely useful to ensure that you prepare a list of questions prior to your visit. While this won’t necessarily help to prepare your pet for the visit, it will ensure that you get as much as possible out of the visit. You should ensure that you work with your veterinarian to learn about how to care for your pets at home. Whenever you have a question you want to ask your veterinarian, you should write it down. This will help to ensure that you don’t forget something during the visit. It can also help to ensure that your visit goes as smoothly as possible.
Work Out Excess Energy
You may want to consider working out excess energy in your pet prior to the veterinary visit. Take them for a brisk walk before leaving for the veterinarian or spend some time playing with them. This goes a long way toward reducing their stress and ensuring that they go into the appointment as relaxed as possible. When a pet is tired, they will have less energy leftover to be stressed. However, when a pet has a great deal of energy, they are more susceptible to becoming stressed and overwhelmed during their visit.
Use a Carrier
If your pet is small enough, you should consider using a carrier to bring them into the vet. This will help to protect them from other animals and prevent them from running away. In addition, you can spend some time helping them to become acclimated to the carrier before the appointment. Putting a familiar blanket and toy in the carrier with them can help provide an environment where they feel more comfortable. This can go a long way toward reducing the stress that is associated with a veterinary appointment.
Keep them Relaxed While Waiting
While you are in the waiting room, you will want to keep your pet as relaxed as possible. It can be tempting to let their excitement build, as they want to interact with all of the other pets around them. However, it is often most beneficial to keep them near you or even on your lap. Pet them and speak to them in a soft voice to help them stay relaxed. When they go into the appointment as relaxed as possible, they are far more likely to have a positive experience.
Regular Veterinary Visits
Annual visits can help to ensure that problems are caught in the early stages, as well as keep your pet in the best possible health. They can get their appropriate vaccinations and get a general check on their health and current condition. There are a great many benefits beyond this when you regularly bring your pet in for veterinary visits. When you regularly bring your pets in to see the vet, they will become accustomed to them. The more familiar they are with the veterinarian, the more comfortable they will be during the appointment. This can help to create a far more positive experience.
List of Medications
This is another step that is beneficial for you to take, rather than simply to prepare your pet for the visit. You should compile a list of everything that your pet consumes, including their medications, supplements, and the food that they regularly eat. This will help your veterinarian to identify where changes need to be made, as well as ensure that there will be no negative interactions between medications. This list can help to simplify the visit and minimize substantial issues. If it is easier, you may also be able to simply bring in the medications to your appointment. Explain to your veterinarian why they are on each medication or supplement. This helps to provide the best cohesive treatment plan for your pet.
Bring Treats
When you bring treats with you to your pet’s veterinary appointment, you can help to keep your pet occupied. Consider keeping them distracted by asking them to perform commands to earn treats. Familiar treats can also be given to the veterinarian to help them gain the trust of the pet. This can help to provide a far more positive, beneficial experience for your pet during their veterinary visit.
Accustom to Car Travel
Unless your veterinary is located within walking distance from your home, it will be important to ensure that you accustom your pet to car travel prior to the appointment. When they aren’t accustomed to car travel, it is highly likely that they will begin their visit already stressed out due to the drive. Ensure that you use safety precautions to keep both them and you safe during the drives when you get them accustomed to car travel. Use a safety harness, crate, or other tool to keep them contained and safe during the drive. When they go on drives more frequently, they will get used to it. Many pets even enjoy car rides! This will help to ensure that they remain far more comfortable once they arrive at the veterinary office.
Taking the steps to prepare your pet for their veterinary visit will go a long way toward ensuring the most positive experience possible. Our experienced team is happy to provide the various services that are necessary in keeping your pets happy and healthy. To learn more about the best steps to take to prepare your pet for their veterinary visit, contact our team at Skyline Animal Hospital today!
